After weather postponed the opener of the two-game series in the Bronx on Tuesday night, the Cubs begin Interleague play this afternoon with the first game of a day-night doubleheader. Today marks the first time the Cubs have played a regular season game at the new Yankee Stadium. The Cubs actually played in the first games at the new Stadium in 2009. Lou Piniella’s Cubs squared off against the Yankees in two exhibition games to wrap-up Spring Training more than five years ago. The new Yankee Stadium will be the 122nd different park the Cubs’ franchise has played in. And after these two games are in the books, the Cubs “will have played a regular-season games in every current Major League city and a game in every active ballpark” according to a report from Carrie Muskat.

The Cubs played rather well against the Junior Circuit a year ago. The Cubs were 13-7 versus the American League. This year, the Cubs have four games versus the White Sox (May 5-8), two more against the Yankees at Wrigley Field (May 20-21), three with the Red Sox in Boston (June 30, July 1-2), three against the Rays (Aug. 8-10), three versus the Orioles (Aug. 22-24) and three in Toronto with the Blue Jays (Sept. 8-10).

Not only will several of the Cubs’ players and coaches have a chance to catch up with Alfonso Soriano, but the Cubs will get a first-hand look with the one that got away in the off-season. The Cubs’ front office made Masahiro Tanaka a priority last winter and came up short in the bidding war. Joe Girardi will spend a lot of time answering questions about how serious he was about the Cubs’ job last fall. And both Larry Rothschild and Jim Hendry figure to field more than their fair share of questions about what they think about the current state of the Cubs.

On the field, Plan B, as Jason Hammel referred to himself, will try to beat the pitcher that was Plan A for the Cubs during the off-season. The Yankees are dealing with a lot of injuries. Derek Jeter is expected back in the starting lineup after missing the last two games of the Red Sox series with a tight right quad.

Game two of the day-night doubleheader is expected to begin at 6:05pm CDT. Travis Wood is scheduled to face the pine tar-free Michael Pineda in the finale of the two-game series.

Jason Hammel gets it all started in game one of the twin bill …

Jason Hammel makes his third start of the year today and the first one against a team not from Pittsburgh. Hammel picked up the win in his Cubs’ debut on April 3 after holding the Pirates to one run on two hits with one walks and five strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings. Hammel followed up his first outing with an excellent start in his first ever game at Wrigley. Hammel gave up three runs on three solo home runs with one walk and six strikeouts in seven innings. The Pirates hit five bombs in total that night, with three of them coming off of Jason Hammel.

Hammel has a lot of experience with facing the Yankees from his time in the AL East. Hammel is 3-3 in 17 career appearances, 11 starts, with a 5.17 ERA and a 1.61 WHIP. Hammel was very good against the Bombers a year ago. Hammel was 2-0 in three starts with a 2.55 ERA and a 1.42 WHIP. For his career, Hammel is 1-1 in three starts at new Yankee Stadium with a 2.65 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP.

Yankees Career Numbers against Jason Hammel

Kelly Johnson: 8-for-27 with one double, two home runs and one walk

Derek Jeter: 8-for-27 with one double, one home run and one walk

Ichiro Suzuki: 10-for-26 with two doubles and two walks

Brian Roberts: 7-for-17 with two doubles and two walks

Brian McCann: 3-for-13

Carlos Beltran: 2-for-8 with one walk

Alfonso Soriano: 3-for-9 with two doubles and one home run

Jacoby Ellsbury: 3-for-7 with one walk

Brett Gardner: 0-for-6

Masahiro Tanaka has been very good in two starts this season. After serving up a leadoff homer to Melky Cabrera in his Major League debut, Tanaka settled down and beat the Blue Jays while striking out eight batters and not issuing a free pass. Tanaka put together a quality start in his last outing and received a no decision. Tanaka allowed three runs on seven hits to the Orioles with 10 strikeouts and one walk. In two starts (14 innings), Tanaka has issued one free pass while striking out 18 batters.

Masahiro Tanaka has not disappointed yet.

Look for Rick Renteria to load his lineup with right-handers this afternoon. So far, lefties have hit .167/.194/.258 against him while righties have managed a .320/.320/520 slash line against Tanaka in two games.

DVD Giveaway

Its contest time once again at the CCO.

TO HELP CELEBRATE THE NEW 2014 BASEBALL SEASON, TAKE YOURSELF OUT TO THE BALLGAME WITH SPECIALLY-PRICED WORLD SERIES FILMS, BLOOPERS, TV SERIES AND DOCS – ALL UNDER $10, AVAILABLE NOW ON iTUNES!

MLB’s Download-To-Own Offerings – Including 70 Historic and Official World Series Films from 1943-2013, “MLB Bloopers: Baseball’s Best Blunders” and the Complete First Season of “This Week in Baseball” — Allows Fans to Bring America’s Pastime With Them Wherever They Go!

Last week, 30 Major League Baseball® teams took the field for Opening Day 2014. Fans have been thronging to ballparks around the country, and tune in on TV, radio and online, as their respective teams begin the months-long campaigns toward their ultimate goal: the World Series Championship.

To celebrate the new season, A+E Networks Home Entertainment has launched a digital download sale on nearly 100 great programs from Major League Baseball, encompassing some of the league’s best TV programming, special documentaries and features, as well as the annual crowning achievement: the Official World Series Film, from 1943 to the present day.

Allowing fans to watch everything from their favorite teams and players to some of the greatest moments in Major League Baseball history anywhere a smartphone or tablet can go, MLB’s digital downloads have never been easier to attain! Until April 15, simply visit www.iTunes.com/MLB to purchase any of the specially-priced programs, including:

A+E Networks contacted the CCO once again and asked for us to let our readers know the films are now available for download on iTunes and have set aside three copies of “Prime 9: MLB Heroics” for us to give our readers.

The three-game contest ends today with the first game of the day-night doubleheader and the winner of today’s contest will receive the last copy of the DVD from A+E.

Here is how the contest works:

There will be only (1) winner per day. All entries must be posted in the comments section with a time stamp prior to first pitch. All entries made after first pitch (12:05pm CDT) will NOT be valid. If any rules are not followed then those entries will NOT be valid. All entries must include answers for all questions and failure to do so will make that entry invalid. Only (1) entry per day, per person, per IP address.

There will be one question posted in each of the three game previews. The person with the correct answer for the question will be that day’s winner. The tie breaking procedure will follow the order in which the questions are asked, not based on the amount of correct answers. All answers must be exact, close is not good enough. If more than one entry has all (6) questions answered correctly, the winner will be determined by the time stamp as answering the questions first and correctly.

The winner will be posted in the comment section of that day’s game preview (Talkin’ Cubs Live). The winner will have to email the CCO with a correct mailing address. A+E Networks will send out the DVD to the winners within the continental United States only.